Ex-Giant Rejects Deal in Boy's Death

Published 12:46 pm, Monday, April 25, 2016

Former New York Giants player Jeremiah Parker rejected a plea bargain in a case in which he was charged in the beating death of his girlfriend's 4-year-old son.

Parker, charged with aggravated manslaughter, turned down a deal Monday that called for him to receive a seven-year prison sentence and would have left him eligible for parole in about 18 months.

He will now stand trial in March in the death of Elijah Kelly. The case was to start this week, but Parker's lawyer received a delay until March 10 so he could obtain an expert's report and speak with additional witnesses, Assistant Passaic County prosecutor Michael DeMarco said.

The offer called for Parker to plead guilty to child endangerment with a seven-year sentence. The offer was made about two weeks after Tauleah Kelly, the boy's mother, accepted a similar plea bargain and agreed to testify against Parker.

Parker also faces charges of child endangerment, child cruelty and neglect. He was arrested shortly after the boy died. He remains free on $300,000 bail. He could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

The boy died May 14, 2001, two days after Parker found him motionless on the bedroom floor at the Haledon condominium the couple shared. An autopsy revealed Elijah died from blunt force injuries to the head sustained over time.

Prosecutors have said Kelly and Parker played a role in the death, although Kelly contends she also was abused by Parker.

The 25-year-old Parker appeared in four games for the Giants during the 2000 season. He was waived in June 2001 because of his personal problems and now lives in California. Prosecutors say Parker took steps to hide signs that he abused the boy, contending he tried to cover marks on the walls caused by belts or electrical cords used to hit Elijah.